Real Madrid have decided against renewing Antonio Rudiger's contract, which expires next summer, due to his reduced role in the team, a report claims. The German international has failed to convince new head coach Xabi Alonso, despite being a key figure in defence for the previous three years. Madrid want to free up space in their wage bill, with Rudiger being viewed as an expensive backup by the coach.

Kylian Mbappe has revealed the Real Madrid players are starting to understand what new manager Xabi Alonso wants from them. The French international wants to make sure Alonso has a great debut campaign as the Spanish giants battle for the Champions League and La Liga titles and has also compared his methods to those of former boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Vinicius Junior's role at Real Madrid has taken a surprising downturn under Xabi Alonso, but the Brazilian forward has responded in spectacular fashion. Despite starting fewer games and spending more time on the bench than ever before, he's producing record-breaking numbers by his own standards - proving his worth even as pressure mounts on Alonso amid questions about team balance and results.

Rodrygo has opened up on his "difficult" absence from the Brazil national team amid his battle to earn Xabi Alonso's trust at Real Madrid. After missing the last two international windows, Rodrygo is finally back in the national team setup after receiving a call-up from his former coach Carlo Ancelotti for the friendlies in October against Asian giants South Korea and Japan.

Over the summer, Rodrygo seemed like the Real Madrid player likeliest to depart the club, with teams such as Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain all expressing their interest. However, the Brazilian winger has reiterated that he never had any desire to leave Los Blancos, proving that there was never any weight to any rumours linking him with an exit.